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LETTER: Trump risks war when he provokes North Korea

The current administration is taking a very provocative and wrong approach to North Korea.

The wrong I’m addressing is one where this government is daring Kim Jong Un to go against our wishes inside his country. This is not diplomacy. This is a threat. Secretary Rex Tillerson and President Donald Trump, by their actions and words, are trying to provoke this lunatic (Kim Jong-un). The US government has used this tactic many times to excuse making war on those it disapproves of. The government always claims it had no choice because of the threat to security.

I do not defend North Korea’s conduct, but I understand it. They have good reason to make it clear they will defend against an aggressor. Like Israel, they have a right to defend themselves. There is an aggressor that has expressed disapproval of North Korea’s regime and would change it if given a chance. The aggressor they fear has a proven record of attacking those it disapproves of. We need to see the situation from their point of view. As citizens, we must not let the propaganda cause us to approve of starting a war. Might does not make right, it just creates fear.

Because of the lazy media, many Americans are not aware of what is really important to our safety and security. It is not the Russian connection, wire tapping, financial disclosure or bathroom bills. It is the actions of this administration and its approach to North Korea. That is the danger to our lives. If it is out of ignorance or intention, it does not matter. People will die when war begins. At that point, everyone will regret what happened.

The last great war, that cost 100 million lives in the end, was started over security issues. We need to take that lesson to heart. Was Germany’s security really at risk?

Before that house of clowns in Washington commits us to war, we should demand the answer to these questions: Who has the most to lose and the least to gain in starting a war on the Korean peninsula? Who is threatening who?

James Vertrees

Palmyra

LETTERS: Local letters to the editor, maximum 300 words, can be emailed to letters@theleafchronicle.com. Include your full name, address and phone number for verification.